Machinery for printing in several colors.



Patented Oct; 3, I899. E. LAMBERT.

MACHINERY FOB PRINTING IN SEVERAL COLORS.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

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N0. 634,I44. Patented U01. 3, I899. E. LAMBERT. MACHINERY FOB PRINTINGIN SEVERAL COLDRS.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

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No. 634,|44. I, Patented Oct. 3, I899. E. LAMBERT. MACHINERY FORPRINTING IN SEVERAL COLORS.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

,Zwz/en Z27 3125x472 lama"? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD LAMBERT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN SEVERAL COLORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,144, dated October3, 1899.

Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,348. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDOUARD LAMBERT, a

citizen of the Republic of France, and a resi-' dent of Paris, France,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MachinesfonPrinting in a Plurality of Colors, of which the following is aspecification, this invention having been patented in France under dateof April 11, 1888, No. 189,887, and December 5, 18 91, No. 217,860; inEnglandunder date of September 26, 1888, No. 13,888, and April 7, 1892,No. 6,702; in Germany under date of May 6, 1892, No. 66,260, and inBelgium under date of September 27, 1888, No. 83,392.

My invention relates to an improved construction of machinery forprinting in several colors, which is characterized by the combination,with two orlnore machines which are single-platen machines placed sideby side, of a system of mechanism which effects the transport of thesheets from one printingform to another, the uniform travel of which isdetermined by a rod of definite length that moves between two fixedstops.

The principal characteristics of the invention are asfollows:

First, the machines are so placed relatively to each other that thecylinders carrying the paper sheets are in line with each otherthat isto say, have the same axis of rotation and a frame common which carrythe cylinders; second, during the return motion of the table of themachines-that is to say, while the cylinder is stationarythe sheet ofpaper is conveyed parallel to the axis of the cylinder and in thedirection of the .=generatrices thereof and is stopped in a determinedposition, and, third, the guiding and register of the sheets during suchmotion are insured .(a) As regards the travel of the sheets:

being fixed relatively to the before-mentionedpins and facilitating thetransporting movement of the tail end of the sheet.

(1)) As regards the uniform extent of motion of the sheetnotwithstanding any variation in the motion of the mechanical devicesthat effect the movement of the sheet: by means of a rod which carriesthe pins and the small blades and which is carried along by friction bya combination of mechanical devices called the transporter. Therod,which is of definite length, can move between two fixed stops, andthe total travel effected by the transporter is greater than thedifference of the distance between the fixed stops and the length of therod. Itfollows that the rod carried along by the transporter bearsagainst each stop before the end of each travel of the transporter andremains stationary while the transporter is finishing its travel. Therod,and consequently the pins,the blades, and the sheet thus have anabsolutely constant travel.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example a machine for printingin four colors inwhich the bed carries four printingforms, one for eachcolor to be printed, the ink tables and rollers being also distinct foreach color.

Figure 1 shows a part side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is across-section. Fig. 3 is a plan of the cylinder and of the transporter.Fig. 4 shows a section of the cylinder and of the transporter to alarger scale. Fig. 4 is a detail View. Fig. 5 shows a front view of thecarrier of the pins.

The travel of the sheets of paper is as follows: A sheet is margined atthe end of the cylinder in the ordinary manner of single machines duringthe stoppage of the cylinder. The maximum width of the sheet is equal tothe quarter of the width of the cylinder. The nippers of the cylinderare closed and the sheetis carried around by the rotation of thecylinder, which is made to revolve for printing from the first form.-The cylinder then stops, the nippers being still closed. The pins of thetransporter then descend, and the nippers being now opened the sheetbegins to travel and carries thesheet along the cylinder while this isstationary until the sheet is brought in front of the second form.During this time a fresh sheet is margined on the margin-table and,being brought on the cylinder in the position where the first one wasoriginally situated, the nippers are closed upon it and the pins of thetransporter rise. On the cylinder now rotating both sheets are printedupon by two forms of different color, after which the cylinder stopsagain. During the rotation of the cylinder the transporter has returnedto its original position and seizes the margined sheets by its pins. Thesheets then pass-the first one from the second form to the third formand the second sheet from the first form to the second one. A thirdsheet is then margined and secured on the cylinder. The cylinder thenrotates, so as to print upon such sheet with the first form, upon thesecond sheet with the second form, and upon the first sheet with thethird form. On the cylinders again stopping the transporter seizes thesheets and conveys the first one to the fourth form, the second one tothe third form, and the third sheet to the second form. A fourth sheetis then marginedand attached to the cylinder, which then rotates andprints all four sheets,respectively, with the fourth, third, second, andfirst forms. The first sheet having thus traveled along the entirelength of the machine and being now printed upon with the four colors isremoved, and the three other sheets having been shifted by thetransporter and a fresh sheet having been placed upon the cylinderopposite the first form all four sheets are again simultaneouslyprintedupon, and so on continuously, there being after each impression a sheetremoved at one end that has been printed upon in four colors, while atthe other end a fresh sheet is introd need.

The above-described transporting of the sheets is effected by thefollowing mechanisms: A, Fig. 5, represents a carriage having ato-and-fro motion imparted to it by any suitable mechanism, the extentof such motion being equal to d. B is a bar of determined length c,which slides with friction in the supports E and F, carried by carriageA. O and D are two fixed stops at a distance a from each other. Assumingthat d is greater than a c that is, Z)and assuming that the carriage Ais at the one end of its travel, that one end of the rod 13 is incontact with the stop D, and that the motion of the carriage is towardC, then at a given moment the bar B, carried along by the supports E andF, will butt against the stop 0, and as dis greater than 1) bar B, beingstopped, will slide with friction in the supports E and F to the extent(1 Z). 011 the carriage A traveling in the contrary direction it willcarry rod B with it again in the same position which it; had relativelyto A at the end of the first travel. It follows that when carriage Atravels toward stop D the bar B will butt against the latter before Aarrives at the end of its travel, so that B will then again remainstationary while A completes its motion, keeping B pressed against D byreason of the frictional contact of B with its support, the extent ofthe relative motion between A and B being again equal to (Z b, asbefore. Thus it will be seen that whatever may be the travel of carriageA the motion of B will always be constant.

Assuming 2 7" to represent the sum of the play movements of all themechanical devicesactuating A, it will be seen that to insure a constanttravel of'B it suflices that (l b be greater than 2 Thus if the bar ismade to carry a sheet of paper along with it either by means of pins orby nippers it will always impart to such sheet a perfectly exact extentof motion. In practice the distance d b is made sufficiently greaterthan 2 for allowing a length of time for the stoppage of B suflicientfor the pins thereof to descend on the sheet of paper and for thenippers of the cylinder to open at one end of the earriages travel andfor the nippers to close and the pins to rise again at the other end ofthe travel. The arrangement of mechanism for carrying out this action isas follows: A casting G, Fig. 2, formed with guides, is carried by theuprights Y and Z of the machine. On this casting slides the carriage A,receiving a to-and-fro motion, as follows: At the one end of themachine, Fig. 1, is a wheel 0, receiving rotary motion and having acrank-pin P, that slides in the slotted rod Q, which can oscillate,being secured to the rock-shaft R, so that by the rotation of thecrank-pin a to-andfro motion is imparted to Q of the kind known as arapid'retnrn motion. On the shaft R is fixed a lever L, which isconnected to the carriage A by the rod M. Thus it will be seen that bythe uniform rotation of the wheel 0 a to-and-fro motion with quickreturn will be imparted to the carriage A. On the carriage A are fixedthe supports E F, that carry the bar B, sliding therein with friction.

The bar B is carried by bearings m m, adjustable in the supports E F,the friction being regulated by screws 11., which act on the upper checkm of the bearing. The carriage A consequently carries the bar 13 with itin its to-and-fro motion on the casting G, at the ends of which are thescrew-stops C D, situated in line with the bar B.

On the bar B are secured the pieces Z and the rods L, on which are thepins h. The bar B consequently carries the pins h. On the bar B is fixeda finger P. This finger penetrates into the slotted piece q, fixed onthe shaft 1*, and with a cam gives a suitable oscillation by means ofthe levers s s. Fig. 4.- is a section of these different devices. At themoment when the cylinder S stops the pieces Z fall on a bar f carried bythe cylinders. The pins h then penetrate into a longitudinal groove g inthe barf, and are thus made to pierce the margined sheet between thenippers of the cylinders and the bar f. The nippers of 'the cylinderthen rise and leave the course free for the pins h. At this moment thecarriage A begins to travel-and carries the bar B and pins h,andconsequently also the sheet of paper, with it; but before the end of thetravel of A, the bar B butts against 0, so that the motion of the pinsand IIO paper sheet is stopped and the nippers are again close down uponthe latter by suitable known devices. The pins are then raised by thepieces 19 q r s s and the cam, leaving the sheet in the nippers. Thecylinder begins then to rotate for printing the sheet and during thistime the carriage A brings the pieces Z and the pins it back to theiroriginal position. When the cylinder has terminated its rotation and hasstopped, the bar B bears against the stop D. The pins are stillmotionless in the transverse direction by means of the cam and pieces 3s r q p, they fall on the bar f and in the groove 2, pierce 'the sheets,

and convey them like during the latter stoppage of the cylinder. Thesheet being only held at the head ofthe margin by the pins h, the travelof the sheet upon the cylinder is facilitated by small spring-blades Z,Fig. 45, fixed on the pieces Z. These springs fall with the pins andbear upon the sheet.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention, what I claim is 1. In combination, the cylinder a bed havinga plurality of printing-forms, a carriage reciprocating parallel withthe axis of the cylinder with means for operating it, a rod supportedfrom said carriage and capable of longitudinal movement thereon,butnormally held against movement by the friction of its supports, armscarried by said bar, pins carried at the extremity of said arms, meansfor lowering and raising said arms to cause the pins to pierce the paperat the head thereof Where it is held by the cylinder-nippers and beforethese are opened, and to release the same after the nippers have closedagain when the travel of the paper is completed, andauxiliary'transporting devices consisting of spring-arms made to bearupon the surface of the paper and having the same motion as the pins,substantially as described.

2. In combination, the cylinder and cylinder-nippers a bed having aplurality of printing-forms a carriage reciprocating parallel with theaxis of the cylinder with means for operating it, a rod supported fromsaid carriage and capable of longitudinal movement thereon, but normallyheld against movement by the friction of its supports, arms carried bysaid bar, pins carried at the extremity of said arms, means for loweringand raising said arms to cause the pins to pierce the paper at the headthereof where it is held by the cylinder-nippers and before these areopened and to release the same after the nippers have closed again whenthe travel of. the paper is completed, auxiliary transporting devices-consisting of spring-arms made to bear upon the surface of the paperand having the same motion as the pins, and stops arranged to limit themovement of the frictionally-sup= ported rod, the length of travel ofthe said rod being greater than the length between the said stops, sothat when the transporting devices are arrested by the stops, havingtheir exact motion so determined, the carriage con= tinues to travel toa certain extent, substan= tially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

EDOUARD LAMBERT. Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, J ULES FAYOLLET.

